


Harlequin Romance

by penstrikesmidnight



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Manga Spoilers, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Canon, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:48:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23884042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/penstrikesmidnight/pseuds/penstrikesmidnight
Summary: Daichi helps Oikawa get rid of a pesky one-night stand. He didn't expect it to snowball into something this big.
Relationships: Oikawa Tooru/Sawamura Daichi
Comments: 37
Kudos: 97





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I'm using Rairpair Week 2020 to get this started. It's been in my head for a long time. I can't promise a frequent update schedule, but I'm hoping for at least once a month. Enjoy!

“Hey. Isn’t that Oikawa Tooru?”

Daichi glances away from his food to the bar, where a tall, lean man with fluffy brown hair had just sat down. His hair is shorter than Daichi remembers it being in high school, but it complements his face absurdly well. He has grown into his body in a way that makes Daichi’s throat close, makes him aware of every part of his body. Seeing Oikawa in person is much different than seeing him on a billboard, or in a commercial.

“I didn’t know he was back in Japan, and Sendai of all places,” another of Daichi’s coworkers says.

“He's from Sendai,” Daichi says, regretting the decision when the other four people at the table turn to him. Usually Daichi does not contribute to small talk around sports or celebrities. Daichi shifts in his seat. “I mean, isn’t that common knowledge?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Kimura says, still eyeing Daichi suspiciously. “But there isn't a lot of modeling to be done in Sendai, is there? I wonder what brought him back?”

After a pretty outstanding volleyball career, culminating in two gold medal championships after playing on a few different world teams, Oikawa had gotten pretty famous as a model, even landing a few acting cameos in some big name TV shows. Last Daichi had heard from Suga, Oikawa had bought an apartment in Tokyo but rarely stayed there.

“Maybe he's visiting family?” Daichi says, willing the conversation to turn away from him. He glances around the room. The lighting is dim, which makes the wood interior look even darker than it is. People are starting to fill the small space, the night just starting at 10 PM. Daichi thinks about excusing himself for the night. He knows some of the men at the table will continue drinking, maybe go down to the club a few doors away. Daichi rarely goes. It wouldn't be too awkward to make an escape attempt now.

“I remember you saying you used to play volleyball, right?” Ando, the other chatty coworker, says, bringing Daichi's attention back to the table.

Daichi hums noncommittally, his eyes skating back over to Oikawa, who is nervously looking at the door, then down at his phone. There has been a strange hush taking over the room, a ripple underneath the loud chatter and echoing music. Daichi wonders if Oikawa is used to people quieting around him, too nervous to approach but bold enough to gossip about why he lived the way he did.

Daichi is so busy staring in Oikawa’s general direction, thinking about his celebrity status, that he hardly notices when Oikawa looks his way. Their eyes lock, Oikawa's opening wide in shock and recognition. Daichi swallows, wondering if he should go say something or pretend this surreal encounter never happened.

Oikawa glances around the bar, his eyes stuttering on the opening door, before he jumps out of his chair and cuts a straight line through the crowd toward Daichi’s table. 

That snaps Daichi out of his thoughts. He sits up taller, eyebrows creasing. He wonders if Oikawa has a sixth sense for knowing when people are talking about him, or whether Daichi’s shameless staring had given him away.

“Dai-chan!” Oikawa says, his voice slightly breathless, and he slips into the empty seat next to Daichi. Daichi stares at him, not sure what expression he must have on his face, because his brain sure doesn't know what is happening. “You should have told me you were practically done! So sorry I’m late!”

Oikawa’s widened brown eyes bore into Daichi’s, imploring him to do...something. Hesitantly, Daichi moves his arm out to the side, an invitation for Oikawa to either sit closer to him or take as a questioning gesture. Oikawa pushes up against him immediately, glancing back at the door where a well-built man is standing, assessing the crowd. Daichi props his arm on the back of the bench, wraps his arm around Oikawa’s shoulders. They are surprisingly broad, his muscles firm under Daichi's fingers. Daichi feels them bunch as he shifts into Daichi's hold, as if they have done this a thousand times.

Daichi clears his throat. “It isn’t a problem. I can just pay, and we’ll get out of here. Do you want a drink before we leave?” Daichi gestures to an empty cup and the pitcher of beer on the table, then flags down a waiter to pay his tab. He feels a little bad for using Oikawa as an excuse to leave, but Oikawa is obviously using him as an excuse for something as well.

Oikawa sags in relief. “God, yes, please.”

The table is silent as Oikawa pours himself a glass. Everyone watches as if he is performing a magic trick and they are trying to catch the turn. To be perfectly honest, Daichi is too. Oikawa tips his head back, draining half the glass in one smooth motion. Daichi stares at the long line of his pale neck, watches his Adam’s apple bob. Daichi doesn’t remember the last time he had allowed himself to find anyone attractive, and all Oikawa had to do was walk into the bar and he was gone. He had to have some dignity. 

“How...What the hell?” Kimura finally breaks the silence that had blanketed the table. “You’re _Oikawa Tooru_ , aren’t you?”

Oikawa gives a bashful smile. “Aw, Dai-chan doesn’t talk about me, then? So good at keeping secrets.”

“Are you ready?” Daichi says, trying to get a grasp on the situation. He doesn't really mind the implied context--most of the precinct knows he is attracted to men, and these people at the table are some of his closer work friends. But it is still uncomfortable playing at--whatever this is--with someone he has hardly ever had a conversation with.

Daichi puts his credit card back into his wallet when the waiter returns, shifting so he can put it back in his pocket. His shoulder presses into Oikawa's. Oikawa gives him a small smile and shoulders him back, as if they are really a couple. Daichi himself almost believes it. 

Oikawa takes a last few sips of his drink before nodding. "Let's get out of here. So nice to meet you all, sorry we're rushing away!"

“We’ll have to meet up again,” Kimura says, glancing meaningfully between Daichi and Oikawa.

“Ah, we’ll see! My schedule’s usually busy, but I wanted to spend the weekend with Dai-chan so I made the trip. C’mon, babe, I'm tired.”

Daichi allows Oikawa to take his hand once they stand up. He thinks Oikawa is playing this a little too strongly now, but he just follows Oikawa in a strange zigzag around the tables toward the door. Daichi feels the whispers pulse around both of them, sees cell phones held at surreptitious angles, and he wonders if this will make headlines. Daichi really doesn’t need this kind of publicity now. 

“Almost there, almost there,” Oikawa mutters to himself, his hand tightening its grip on Daichi’s. He is just pushing the door open when Daichi hears a voice behind them. 

“Tooru! Hey, wait a second, Tooru!”

Oikawa pulls Daichi out the door as Daichi turns to look over his shoulder. “Shit,” Oikawa says softly. He turns back to Daichi, loosening his grip on Daichi’s hand. “I don’t suppose you have a car anywhere close?”

Daichi shakes his head. “I live a few blocks away.”

Oikawa presses his lips together. Before he can say anything, the door opens behind them and the man Daichi had noticed before steps out. “Hey! Tooru! I didn’t know you were coming back to Sendai...?”

Daichi watches Oikawa put on a pleasant mask. The weird florescent lighting from the streetlights around them, mixed with the yellow outside lights from the bar, makes Oikawa's skin look sickly. “Ah! Sano-san! I didn’t know you were in Sendai at all. Last you told me you were in Tokyo...”

Sano frowns. Daichi tenses at the hunger that lurks underneath his surface emotion of disappointment. “You stopped answering my calls. And then my messages were getting sent back to me. Luckily, one of your friends tagged you in a post, so I was able to stop by and see you. Who...?”

“Sano-san, this is my boyfriend. We’re on our way out, actually...” Tooru takes a slight step backward.

Sano’s frown deepens. Daichi’s hand drifts to his pocket for his badge as Sano bridges the space Tooru had created. If worse came to worst, Daichi could always get backup from the boys in the bar, but he thinks they can handle this.

“You didn’t tell me you had a boyfriend,” Sano says. 

Tooru's smile is cutting. “That really isn’t your concern, is it? Come on, Dai-chan, let’s go.” Oikawa’s eyes are steely when he motions with his head in the direction Daichi had gestured to when talking about home.

“Wait, Tooru, can’t we just talk...” Sano says, voice desperately pleading.

Daich clears his throat when Oikawa opens his mouth to argue, ready to move on. “Listen, Sano-san, was it? Tooru clearly doesn’t want to talk. Please leave him alone or we’ll have to get the police involved, and that wouldn’t be great, would it?”

Daichi stares Sano down. Sano's jaw works as if he is trying to decide whether to keep causing a scene or not. “No, we do not want that. Maybe we can talk another time, then, Tooru?”

Tooru shrugs his shoulders. “Come on, Dai-chan, let’s go home.”

Daichi can feel Oikawa's hand trembling as he links his fingers between Daichi’s. Daichi can feel the tension in Oikawa's body as they meander away from the man, who continues staring after them with burning, burning intensity. Daichi guides Oikawa around a corner toward his apartment complex. He feels Oikawa loosen up the farther they get from the unnerving man. Eventually, Oikawa’s hand drops away entirely. “Thanks, Sawamura.”

“What happened to Dai-chan?” Daichi asks, raising an eyebrow as he looks over at Oikawa. He sees Oikawa’s face tint pink. It is a nice late-spring evening, a light breeze drifting down the streets. Oikawa fixes a piece of hair that falls on the wrong side of his part before looking over at Daichi with a pout.

“I had to make it seem real that we were dating, you know! Nicknames are my specialty.” Oikawa lets out a puff of air. A car drives past them, illuminating Oikawa in its headlights for just a second before plunging them both back into darkness. “Anyway, sorry about that. I met him at a bar in Tokyo, went out with him a few times, and then he just became...clingy. Thanks for rescuing me.”

They reach Daichi's apartment complex, and they stop underneath the streetlight directly in front of it. Daichi studies Oikawa. Up close, he looks tired, abnormally pale with small black smudges under his eyes that he hadn't noticed in the dim lighting of the bar. Daichi wonders if they are from work or from the situation with Sano. Either way, Oikawa does not look like he should be wandering around Sendai at this time of night. 

“Do you want to come up to my place?” Daichi asks finally.

Oikawa shrugs, dropping his eyes away from Daichi to the sidewalk beneath them. He puts his hands in his jeans pockets. “I’m staying with Iwaizumi, so I should get back.”

It takes Daichi a minute to place the name as another player from Aoba Johsai’s volleyball team, the guy Suga had started hanging out with recently. Daichi nods. “Okay. Hey, if that guy keeps bothering you, let me know, alright? You can file a restraining order.”

Oikawa smirks. He finally seems to be back to the Oikawa Daichi used to interact with back in high school. “Big, strong Dai-chan will fight my demons for me?”

“Big, strong Dai-chan is a police officer who can make sure you stay safe,” he retorts. He gets the satisfaction of watching Oikawa’s eyes widen in surprise. “Good job picking the one table that could make sure you weren’t shanked by that crazy stalker.”

“He’s not stalking me,” Oikawa says, his lips pulling into that infuriatingly endearing pout.

Daichi gives a disbelieving laugh. “Oikawa. He said he had followed you from _Tokyo_. You don’t think he’s stalking you?”

Tooru wrinkles his nose. “I have had my fair share of stalkers. He saw I was in a relationship, he’ll throw a hissy fit and then ignore me. Tell me I’m a slut or an asshole or both and he deserves better than me. Good riddance.”

Oikawa flips his hair out of his face with a flourish. Daichi admires the way Oikawa looks in the dim orange street lamp, unearthly, not quite there. “Anyway, thanks again, cop-san. I’m going to catch this taxi. See you around!”

“Bye,” Daichi says, but doesn’t move until he watches Oikawa hail the cab and get in.

Daichi walks slowly up the stairs, thinking about the events that had transpired that night. How is he going to play this off to his crew on Monday when he goes into work? Is he really going to see Oikawa again while he is in town?

(He really wants to see Oikawa again.)

He is actually surprised that Oikawa recognized him after almost ten years. If Oikawa hadn’t been the face of the Japan National Volleyball Team and a model to boot, Daichi may not have recognized him at all. Although, Oikawa is a hard look to forget, especially when teenage Daichi had been instantly smitten with him. 

“Idiot,” Daichi mutters to himself as he opens the door to his apartment. He is not going to think about Oikawa again for the rest of the night. He is going to unwind by drinking enough water to counterbalance his alcohol intake and watch a mindless show on Netflix. 

He ignores the group chat from the guys he went out with asking about Oikawa.

After an hour of watching TV, he feels like the whole night might have been a fever dream. This will all blow over by the next day, he is sure of it. 

***

Daichi wakes up to his cell phone ringing. He groans, rubs his eyes, and checks the name on the screen. _Suga_. He groans again, louder, hitting the decline button and tossing the phone onto the mattress somewhere off to his right side. Suga _knows_ this is his first full weekend off in months. Daichi had made him swear not to call until after eleven. 

Daichi dozes, not quite able to rest fully after waking up, and jolts up to another ring. He fumbles for the phone and sees Suga’s name shining brightly at him again. “What?” he growls as he throws his comforter off of him and rolls off the bed.

“You said you were just going out for drinks with some coworkers last night!” Suga’s voice greets him, too awake for Daichi’s taste. “Liar! And you’re holding out on me!”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Daichi asks tiredly, rubbing his face with a hand. It’s too early to deal with Suga's antics.

“You met Oikawa Tooru at a bar and didn’t think to text me?! Did you take him home? Oh, god, is he still with you? Did you _fuck_ Oikawa Too—“

“Suga, if you don’t shut up I’m going to hang up on you,” Daichi threatens. He stands, stretches, then pads into the kitchen to seen what he can find for breakfast. He pulls out eggs and rice. “I ran into Oikawa at a bar with the guys. He needed some help getting rid of someone who had followed him from Tokyo. So I played along. No need to freak out.”

“Tell that to the news,” Suga retorts. “They didn’t name you, but in the pictures it is obviously you.”

Daichi pulls the phone away from his ear. He puts Suga on speaker and puts his eggs on the stove. Then he googles Oikawa Tooru’s name.

He flips to news as soon as the page loads. He sees the flood of gossip instantly. _Oikawa Tooru Seen With Mystery Man_ , _Does Oikawa Tooru Have a New Beau?_ , _Oikawa Tooru Cuddles Close To Hot, Mysterious Stranger in His Hometown_. 

“Tch,” Daichi clicks his tongue, gouging his eggs with the spatula a little more forcefully than necessary. 

“I see you found the articles,” Suga says dryly. 

“My boss is going to be pissed,” Daichi groans, leaving the phone on the counter. “They don't need any publicity right now!"

"Well, maybe no one at the precinct reads news on minor sports celebrities," Suga says, his tone clearly trying to be placating, as if he weren't the one to break the news so gleefully just moments before.

Daichi snorts. "Yeah, not a chance. They were literally drooling over him before he came over to the table. They recognized him before I did, and I know him in real life!"

"That's rough. Sorry, Daichi." Suga doesn't sound sorry at all. Daichi rolls his eyes as he dishes his breakfast, then scoops up his phone, making his way to the table, listening to Suga's voice humming in the background without really making out what he was saying. How in the world had Suga even thought to look up Oikawa in the first place? Sure, Daichi was used to getting his information about high school acquaintances from Suga, but usually Suga only shared information about Oikawa when Oikawa was part of a scandal. Maybe Suga was hanging out with Iwaizumi more than he thought.

"Anyway, we're still good for dinner on Wednesday night, right?"

Daichi blinks out of his meandering thoughts. Dinner on Wednesday. Their standing appointment, when Daichi doesn't have to reschedule because of an impromptu shift. "Oh. Yeah, that should be fine." 

"Awesome. Anyway, I'll let you go back to your regularly scheduled weekend of seclusion. Hopefully some rogue paparazzi doesn't find you. Although, wouldn't that kind of be an adventure, having to avoid people who want to make you famous..."

"Only you would think that," Daichi says, picking his phone back up and putting it to his ear. "Thanks for ruining my day bright and early. And I'm not secluding myself, I'm relaxing!"

Suga laughs. "Whatever you say, Daichi. You can always count on me! See you later."

Daichi sighs. He leaves his phone on the table as he cleans his fork and plate in the sink. He doesn't want to date Oikawa Tooru. Does he? Just because Oikawa is, objectively, beautiful to look at, does not mean that Daichi wants to take care of someone who could only be high maintenance and used to getting his way.

But from the little Daichi knows about Oikawa personally, he knows he is dedicated. Driven. Someone who doesn't take no for an answer, who carves a path to get where he needs to, a person who wants everyone to love him.

Okay, so maybe Daichi is curious about what it would be like to get to know Oikawa a little better. A little more...intimately. One night wouldn't be the worst thing to happen to him...

Daichi scowls at the sponge in his hand before sighing. He tosses it onto the edge of the sink and wipes down the counter before putting his dishes away. He just needs to do something to get his mind off of Oikawa. Maybe he'll hit up the gym, go return the book he had just finished to the library, get some quick lunch, and then come back and crash. Maybe he'll go see a movie. Maybe he should have picked up that extra shift to fill his time, or maybe he should join a local volleyball league...

"I'm not lonely," Daichi tells the air. As expected, nothing responds.

Daichi huffs and goes to pack his gym bag.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daichi follows Oikawa to a table. He watches as Oikawa digs through his pockets until he produces a pen, then takes a napkin and unfolds it.
> 
> "What are you doing?" Daichi asks.
> 
> Oikawa blinks. "We need to set the rules for our fake relationship."
> 
> "And you've decided to document it on a napkin?" Daichi asks. "How official."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, an update is finally here! So sorry for the long wait, but the one thing I can promise is that the next chapter will not take nine months to go up lol. Anyway, I'm still having so much fun with this fic, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

On Monday Daichi is ten minutes early to work. It is a habit left over from his high school volleyball captain days, one that has made him ultra-reliable, so he has not tried to break it. He is just settling into his desk to start on some leftover paperwork when his boss walks over.

"Sawamura-san, can I have a quick word?"

Daichi had almost forgotten about what had happened with Oikawa on Friday night. Well, maybe not forgotten, but pushed to the back of his mind, covered over with gym workouts and mind numbingly predictable paperback thrillers.

"Of course, sir," Daichi says, standing up and following Ito-san to his office.

He settles himself in the chair Ito-san had motioned to, his stomach twisting in anticipation of the coming discussion. He had done nothing wrong. It was just a misunderstanding, nothing had happened--it was unfortunate, misconstrued news that had gone viral.

"You're one of my youngest, brightest officers, Sawamura-san. You pick things up quickly, you're well liked, you are willing to step in and help when necessary."

Daichi creases his eyebrows. "Um, thank you sir."

Ito-san smiles, which eases Daichi's discomfort slightly. "As you know, Abe-san is transferring to Kyoto in October. I would like to consider you for a promotion, as things will be changing, if you feel you are up to the task. I know being a young leader can have its challenges, and I’m not saying you will get the job, but the men seem to look up to you, which is a good first step.”

Daichi stares at the captain. He definitely didn’t think they would be discussing a promotion this morning, that was for sure. He couldn’t say he hadn’t thought about the fact that there would have to be changes made to accommodate Abe-san's transfer, but he had assumed this would be a good opportunity to throw his name out there for future advances, not a serious step in his career. “I...Thank you!”

Ito-san chuckles at Daichi’s enthusiasm. “I see I caught you by surprise. If you thought I was going to reprimand you about your dating life, you were mistaken. Although I do wish you had picked someone a little more...discreet. It was all the men talked about over the weekend.”

Daichi feels his face heat up as he scrambles for an explanation of the events of Friday night. Ito-san holds up his hand. Daichi shuts up, relieved he doesn't have to stutter out a coherent excuse. “It’s no matter. Your name isn't in print...yet. But at least bring him around every once in a while to give us some positive exposure, if you’re going to date a celebrity. I'm sure we'll go to a baseball game at some point, if you don't want to invite him to drinks.”

Daichi is fairly sure Ito-san is joking, but he nods just in case before bowing and hurrying out of the room. He imagines taking Oikawa to an event like that, in a baseball cap that would make his hair flip funny and maybe a scarf, since it's still cold outside at night, acting bashful and arrogant in an infuriatingly endearing way as he answers Daichi's coworker's questions...

Daichi cannot start his day out like this.

He throws himself into his work. No one brings up Oikawa, much to Daichi's relief. He thinks he is home clear until Kimura corners him in the break room about twenty minutes before his shift ends.

"You sure played coy on Friday night," he starts off, raising his eyebrows. Daichi hums as he digs through the fridge for his lunch sack. " _And_ you didn't answer any messages this weekend. Too wrapped up in your model boyfriend?"

Daichi sighs. "I think everything that happened is being blown out of proportion..."

"Ah, yes, there must be a rational explanation to the fact that _Oikawa Tooru_ , of all people, sauntered up to our table and took you home. I mean, no offense, but you're the oldest almost-thirty I've ever met. How'd you score a playboy like him anyway?"

At this point Daichi is a little miffed at the implication that he couldn't pick someone up if he wanted. Sure, Oikawa was an unlikely match, but Daichi had enough faith in the fact that he could find a date if he wanted to. And if not by his own charm or intuition, Suga was always quick to play matchmaker. All he would have to do is ask.

"Oikawa and I played volleyball in high school together. Friendly rivalry." _Friendly_ being a little bit of a stretch. Daichi closes the fridge with a little more force than necessary. He turns back to Kimura and shrugs. "We ran into each other. Mutual friends."

He doesn't know why he feels the need to defend this fake relationship, other than the petty reason of his pride. But he cocks his eyebrow, daring Kimura to try and call his bluff. Kimura stares hard at Daichi for a moment before shrugging, apparently deciding to drop the argument. "Well, if you wanted to get me his autograph sometime, I wouldn't be opposed."

Daichi chuckles, the tension easing from his shoulders. "I'll see what I can do."

He still feels a little guilty as he leaves Kimura in the break room, but he hadn't actually _said_ he and Oikawa were dating. And if Kimura pressed, he was fairly sure he could get Suga to wheedle Oikawa into signing a volleyball or something.

Daichi shakes his head. He has thought about Oikawa entirely too much that day. He'd told himself all weekend that this whole thing would blow over. He didn't have any reason to think otherwise, even if he were perpetuating the lie a little more than he thought he would.

* * *

On Wednesday, he gets a message from Suga confirming their dinner date and a suggestion of a fairly nice steakhouse. He doesn't think anything of it, until he arrives at the restaurant.

Suga is standing outside when Daichi gets there. He glances down at his watch in surprise. He could have sworn Suga said seven. He always arrived before Suga.

Suga grins when Daichi reaches him. "No, you aren't late. I specifically got here early because I thought I should break the news in person."

Daichi blinks. His feelings crystalize in his chest in a strange, anticipatory way. "Suga. What did you do?"

"I didn't really mean to do it, so you can't be mad! I was telling Iwaizumi that you and I had dinner plans tonight because he asked if I was busy, cuz he needed to get away from Oikawa. But _then_ I told him about your run-in with Oikawa, and he really started going off about how Oikawa's cycling between freaking out about all the news articles that popped up and how he can't go out by himself any more, so he's been moping around Iwaizumi's apartment because he doesn't have anything to do, so I, well, I invited them both to dinner? They're inside now."

Daichi takes a deep breath, then another one, trying to sort out all the implications of Suga's run-on sentence. He loves Suga, he really does, but sometimes he wants to strangle him. Suga doesn't do anything, just stands there with an angelic smile, hands buried in his pockets, looking bashful and slightly innocent as he waits for Daichi's answer.

Suga is the opposite of innocent, but the look doesn't stop Daichi from giving in. It never does.

"Fine," he sighs. He tries not to think about how inevitable this all feels. Maybe he'd manifested it with that white lie he'd told Kimura a few days ago. "Let's just get this over with."

Suga smirks. "I'm sure that's exactly what you want."

"If you don't shut up about it, I'm going to turn around and leave."

Suga clicks his tongue against his teeth but doesn't say anything else, just leads Daichi to a back corner booth, sliding in next to Iwaizumi and leaving the only open seat next to Oikawa. Daichi hesitates for a brief moment before taking his seat.

"Hey," Iwaizumi says, glancing up from the menu to meet Daichi's eyes with a quick smile before turning his attention back down to the table, "how was work?"

"Good," Daichi says, distracted by the way Oikawa's long fingers are twisting around a straw wrapper. He seems...nervous. Oikawa cocks his head as Daichi's eyes rove up to meet his.

"Do you three go out often?" Oikawa asks by way of greeting, his narrowed eyes flitting over to Iwaizumi. He seems relaxed, back pressed into the corner of the booth, one knee propped up onto the bench, just brushing Daichi's thigh, but the way his fingers curl around the wrapper, pulling it taut around his knuckles, only to unwind it into another rigid line that pulls against his skin, says otherwise. Daichi doesn't know if it is better to stare at Oikawa's hands or his face, so he drags his attention to the other side of the table instead.

Iwaizumi shrugs, scowling at Oikawa. "Sure, we're friends, aren't we?"

Daichi looks between Oikawa and Iwaizumi, watching their stare down, the tension building like pressurized air. Before anyone explodes, Oikawa deflates, his fingers curling around the straw wrapper one last time before crumpling it. "You've just never told me, is all."

"Do I need to tell you everything I do with my life?" Iwaizumi asks. Daichi senses this is a well-trod argument for the two of them, except this time, something seems off between them.

"How long are you in town for?" Daichi asks before Oikawa can respond to Iwaizumi. Everyone turns their attention to Daichi, who anchors his eyes to Oikawa. Oikawa's eyes are wide, his face open to show the raw surprise he feels, before his emotions are quickly shuttered behind an aggressively cheerful demeanor. 

"I'm staying with Iwa-chan until the end of the week, then I'm going to visit my parents for a day or so. Actually, I've been looking at getting an apartment here for a few months. I don't have anything lined up, and my agent told me I need to take a long break after my last messy breakup and string of one night stands. _Keep a low profile, Tooru! Get seen going out to your favorite cafes, or playing pickup volleyball games at your old gym! Everyone knows you’re horrible at commitment, but at least pretend like you’re turning over a new leaf. And whatever you do, Tooru, stop sleeping with everyone that promises to take care of you_." Oikawa rolls his eyes, his voice pitched playful as he demeans himself.

Daichi opens his mouth, to say what he doesn't know; he just wants Oikawa to stop talking about himself this way. But Oikawa continues speaking, his pretty smile still plastered to his face. "And then I fucked it all up by going out by myself Friday night and getting photographed with yet another one night stand, according to the papers! We're off to a great start on the _keep Tooru from royally fucking up his career!_ front, my agent has let me know. _Why do you have to respond to everything so dramatically, Tooru? Go to the fucking police like a normal person!_ If only he knew Dai-chan was a police officer. Maybe I wouldn’t be in the shit I’m in now. Anyway, enough about me. Suga-san, you’re the only one I haven’t accidentally smeared the name of. What are you up to?”

Through the whole rant Oikawa keeps up his cheerful persona, as if he's discussing the weather or his next travel itinerary, instead of systematically detailing every wrong thing he has done the past month. It unnerves Daichi, just a little, to see how perfect Oikawa is at pushing his feelings behind masks. Iwaizumi glances down at the table with a scowl.

"I'm an elementary school teacher," Suga says, his bright smile edged with razor wire. "Not a very flashy job, but I enjoy it."

Daichi's heart sinks. How had this dinner turned into such a nightmare so quickly? All he had wanted to do was loosen up to Suga's cheerful banter and gossip, enjoy good food, and get his mind off of his problems. And here his biggest problem sat, in the flesh, with more baggage than Daichi thought possible for one person to carry. And they'd only been talking for ten minutes.

Their stilted conversation is halted by the entrance of their waiter. After he leaves, the four of them sit there, waiting for someone to break the awkwardness. Daichi sighs, realizing it was most likely going to have to fall to him.

“Suga,” Daichi says in his the most pleasant voice he can muster. Suga raises his eyebrows, because of course he see right through Daichi. “Didn’t you tell me you’re starting a new unit with your class about careers?”

For the briefest second, Daichi thinks Suga is going to feign ignorance just to see what Daichi will do, but he must see something in Daichi's desperate expression, because instead, he launches into an enthusiastic account of his newest venture, which includes having professionals from various fields come do hands-on learning with the kids, of which Daichi and Iwaizumi have both already been roped into. He is still talking when their food is brought out.

"If you're still around, I'm sure the kids would love to talk to a professional athlete," Suga says nonchalantly to Oikawa, who is looking down at his plate, studiously avoiding eye contact as he picks out his first bite of food.

"Mmm," Oikawa says, flicking his gaze up to Suga with one of his pretty smiles. Oikawa shifts, his knee digging into Daichi's thigh for the briefest moment before it disappears entirely. Daichi refrains from putting his hand on the spot, already missing the warmth he hadn't realized had been there until it vanished. "I'm not sure..."

"Take your time, figure your schedule out," Suga says breezily. "If all goes well, I'm hoping to continue after summer break. I'm sure the kids would love to play volleyball instead of sit at their desks all day."

Iwaizumi huffs a laugh. Oikawa shoots a glare at him, and Iwaizumi raises his eyebrows in challenge. "We'll see what happens," Oikawa says, standing firm on his non-commitment. 

Suga shrugs, then turns back to his food. The ice between them has thawed, and conversation flows between them. Even Oikawa chimes in every so often, and by the time they are finishing up their meal, he seems to be back to his normal talkative self. Daichi catches himself staring at the way Oikawa uses his hands to talk, his fingers long and pale and delicate as they draw imaginary signs through the air.

A kick to his shin brings him back to the table. "I'm headed to the bathroom before we leave," Suga says, ignoring Daichi's glare. "C'mon Iwaizumi."

Before Daichi can protest, Suga and Iwaizumi have disappeared, leaving him and Oikawa by themselves at the table. Daichi sneaks another glance at Oikawa. He has his phone out, but he doesn't seem to be doing anything useful on it. He looks tired--the same tired he had looked the previous weekend, as if the weight of his life had caught up to him all at once. He could help Oikawa. He _wanted_ to help Oikawa.

He's probably about to make the stupidest mistake of his life, but now that the thought had manifested in his mind, he can't get it to leave. 

"Hey, Oikawa, look," Daichi says, clearing his throat uncomfortably. Oikawa cocks his head, expression pleasant and flat when he meets Daichi's eyes. Daichi takes a deep breath before blurting, "I could...We could date, you know. If you wanted to."

Oikawa's eyes widen. Daichi winces, backtracking quickly as he realizes what words had actually come out of his mouth. "Not, like, really date. Just. You said you were supposed to appear more committed. It would certainly make my life easier if the guys at the precinct thought we were together, especially after, you know, what happened this weekend. I'm fine pretending that we're dating, if it would help you too. And then, when your reputation is a little less...tainted, we'll have an amiable breakup and move on with our lives."

Daichi snaps his mouth closed. He can't believe he'd just propositioned Oikawa Tooru to be his fake boyfriend. This is maybe the most mortifying thing he's ever done, including the time he and Suga had gotten drunk and streaked across the quad in college because of a dumb dare.

Oikawa frowns. He studies Daichi as if waiting to be the punchline of a cruel joke, but, unfortunately, Daichi is one hundred percent serious. He glances to the restroom, where Suga and Iwaizumi had disappeared, bracing himself for the inevitable rejection.

"Okay."

Daichi drags his eyes back to Oikawa. He has a strange expression on his face now, carefully blank but more engaged than before. "Okay?"

"Yes," Oikawa says, quirking his lips in the first easy smile Daichi has seen all night. "We can date for the rest of the summer. I have a gala to attend at the end of September that can be the last big thing we do together."

Before either of them can say anything more, Suga and Iwaizumi exit the bathroom. Oikawa nudges Daichi, who is still trying to process the fact that Oikawa had actually said yes to his stupid, thoughtless idea. He stands up and moves to the side so Oikawa can get out as well.

"Dai-chan and I are going to get ice cream," Oikawa says, wrapping his arm through Daichi's. "I want something sweet."

Suga gives Daichi a look that he refuses to acknowledge. Iwaizumi looks suspicious but shrugs. "See you at home."

"Don't get caught in the papers again, or Daichi won't be able to show his face in the office," Suga says with a smirk. 

"Goodbye," Daichi says firmly, tugging Oikawa along behind him before he can say anything more than goodbye. He hears Oikawa's low chuckle and feels the back of his neck heat up with embarrassment.

The night is cool, a slight breeze curling its way down the street as Oikawa and Daichi walk side by side to an ice cream shop at the end of the block. Oikawa's hand still rests comfortably on Daichi's arm. Daichi glances over at Oikawa, and he's surprised to see Oikawa already looking over at him.

"Was everything okay at work?" Oikawa asks. Daichi must look a little confused, because Oikawa clarifies. "What Suga said, about the papers. I hope it didn't get you into too much trouble."

"Oh. No, everything was okay. To be honest, I think most of my coworkers are just jealous." Daichi holds the door open for Oikawa.

Oikawa sniffs. "Well, of course they are. You're dating _me_."

Before Daichi can answer, the worker behind the counter welcomes them in. Oikawa orders something over-the-top with sprinkles and three types of candy and Daichi orders his usual chocolate scoop in a cone. It already feels like they're on a first date as Daichi hurries to give the cashier his card before Oikawa can. 

After he's paid, Daichi follows Oikawa to a table. He watches as Oikawa digs through his pockets until he produces a pen, then takes a napkin and unfolds it.

"What are you doing?" Daichi asks.

Oikawa blinks. "We need to set the rules for our fake relationship."

"And you've decided to document it on a napkin?" Daichi asks. "How official."

"Do you have paper?" Oikawa shoots back. "You kind of sprung this on me last minute, Dai-chan. Don't worry, when I get home I'll write it all out properly so you can hang it on your fridge. Suga said you don't have anybody over anyway, so no one will see it."

Daichi scowls, but Oikawa has turned back to his napkin, where he has written _Dai-chan and Tooru's Harlequin Romance: Now Showing from May to October_.

If Daichi hadn't felt like he was in a cheesy romcom before, he sure does now.

"Number one," Oikawa says as he writes it down, "no feelings."

"Oh my god," Daichi says. Oikawa glares at him. "This is how every shitty fake dating contract starts."

"This one will be different," Oikawa answers firmly, and before Daichi can retort, he says, "Number two. We send each other good morning and goodnight messages every day."

"Because someone's going to go through our messaging history to see if we're really committed to each other?" Daichi asks dryly. "If you wanted me to text you, all you had to do was ask."

"I don't think you're taking this as seriously as you should be," Oikawa accuses, pointing at him with his pen. Daichi watches in fascination as Oikawa's cheeks turn red with embarrassment. It's...adorable. "This was all your idea in the first place. I'm just making it believable."

"Fine, fine," Daichi sighs, trying to dampen his smile. "What else then?"

Oikawa takes a bite of his ice cream, looking pleased with Daichi's concession. "Three. We call each other by our given names. Well, I'll keep calling you Dai-chan, but you have to start calling me Tooru."  
"Oh."

"It's only fair," Oikawa insists, his sharp brown eyes boring into Daichi's.

Daichi rubs at the back of his neck. "Fine. Tooru."

Oikawa smiles.

He adds a few more items to the list, including, _boyfriend screensavers!_ and _PDA including but not limited to hand-holding and cuddling. Also, I will steal your jackets. TBD on kissing_. When all is said and done, Daichi is staring at the blueprint for a perfect romance written on a flimsy napkin in pretty handwriting.

"We don't tell Suga," Daichi says finally. Oikawa rolls his eyes.

"Duh," he answers when he finishes his last bite of ice cream. "Or Iwa-chan. He'd never let me live this down."

_Do not tell anyone, especially nosy gossips_.

"There." Oikawa smiles down at his handiwork, then signs it with a flourish. He holds the pen out for Daichi. "Your turn."

So Daichi signs his summer away to a fake dating contract in a mostly empty ice cream parlor. Oikawa is practically glowing as he gently folds the napkin and places it in his pocket. "Nice doing business with you, Sawamura-san. Oh! Give me your phone."

Warily, Daichi exchanges phones with Oikawa. "What kind of boyfriends would we be if we didn't have each other's numbers?"

Oikawa stands up as he puts his number into Daichi's phone. Daichi does the same, following Oikawa out the door. When they're out in the fresh air, Oikawa holds Daichi's phone back out to him.

"Do you want me to walk you home?" Daichi asks as he takes his proffered phone.

Oikawa slips his hands into his pockets. He still has happiness lingering in his expression. Daichi is glad that this night was ending on a high note for him, especially after their rocky start. "Nah, I'm in the opposite direction from you. One day, though, I'll let you walk me home. Bye, Dai-chan."

With that, Oikawa turns and walks down the sidewalk, disappearing into the darkness of the night.

Well. This night certainly hadn't gone as Daichi had expected. This is probably a colossal mistake, but he thinks it's worth it to see Oikawa smile.

He's just getting home when his phone goes off. Surprised, he glances down to see _Tooru ღゝ◡╹)ノ♡_ had sent him a message. He shakes his head, but his lips turn up as he reads the message.

_suga said you're off friday so we're getting brunch and going to the gym. see you then!_

"I have a fake boyfriend," Daichi tells his apartment. Of course, the silence doesn't answer back, but Daichi doesn't care. For some reason, he can't stop smiling.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments/kudos always welcome!


End file.
